Turkey Day Wrap Up

I can sum up the last week-ish in one small graphic:

"Is this real life?"

The last 6 days have been a total whirlwind. Unlike poor David after the Dentist, though, it's been an amazing whirlwind. Wednesday J and I loaded up the car and headed to Jackson, Tennessee for Thanksgiving. This was a notable occasion as it was (1) my first Holiday with his family (2) our first holiday together AND (3) our last thanksgiving unmarried. I was pretty excited - his family is absolutely wonderful - and also a little bit nervous about the ridiculous food-fest that was about to ensue.

Luckily, I had some motivation to keep me from going overboard on the munchies over the weekend. My commitment to the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge - and my super competitiveness - meant I had to get in some exercise while we were gone. The challenge has been really good as far as giving me that extra reason to get some exercise in. Of course I know that I should work out - the whole "it's good for my body" rationale is ever present. But sometimes I find a need a new reason, or a new 'excuse' to take time away from people, work, and school in order to do it. The HBBC is a great example of a new motivating excuse!

Another great motivator for spending less time gorging & more time running over the weekend was that I picked up my wedding dress on Tuesday! For the first time in my life I'm actually not encouraged to lose weight since we'd have to get it taken in (wtf? "taken in"? Swoooon). But if there's any better motivation for eating carrot sticks instead of bon bons, I don't know what it would be.

There's really no room for error here

And then there's my favorite Thanksgiving tradition - The Turkey Trot! After I graduated from college and came crawling home to Louisville, I started running the Turkey Trot at my local Y. It's really the best way to start out such an awesome holiday and I really have loved making it part of my holiday. Lucky for me, there is a Turkey Trot in Jackson!

J and his sister started running it two years ago and it was quite the start-up operation - no bibs, no times, just people running around the gym for 3.1 miles. Apparently I'm not the only Turkey Trot lover because this year the event had doubled! We each got chrono-tag bibs and goodie bags filled with lots of awesome samples. Even more exciting - it was J's first "official" race! I may have killed his excitement, however, because unlike his past "Trots" - we RAN!

Obviously taken pre-race - notice the smiles!

We finished the 5k in 28:58 - almost a PR for me and my best 5K in two years! I was so thrilled. We finished strong and we finished together (and ahead of his teenage nephew, woohoo!). J was just thrilled to be alive, I think.

Overall it was an incredible weekend. Louisville has secured a spot atop the Big East with a clutch win over South Florida and whatever happens now we're at least going bowling! Not bad at all.

Now....finals. Wednesday is the beginning/end of the whole shebang. Tried to start it off right with BodyPump today. At least now I'll be too sore to leave my desk.

Happy Running!


How was your Thanksgiving? Did you start any new traditions? Do you race on Turkey Day or is it a strictly fitness-free holiday?

Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge

Total Daily Points - 4

Total weekly points (last week) - 19.47

Total Weekly points this week - 4

Total Cumulative points - 23.47